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As pressure continued to build against the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle on Tuesday, one of 19 politicians from the party alleged to have been mixed up in a bribery scandal in 2004 denied any involvement.

“That is not true. Whoever made such allegations is lying” and misleading the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), senior politician Panda Nababan said. “Where is the evidence? I am ready to confront whoever made the accusations.”

The fiery defense came a day after Dudhie Makmun Murod, a sitting lawmaker from the party, known as the PDI-P, went on trial at the Anti-Corruption Court for allegedly receiving bribe money linked to the appointment of a central bank executive in 2004.

A three-time member of the House of Representatives commission for financial and banking affairs, Dudhie on Monday was accused of receiving Rp 9.8 billion ($1 million) shortly after the PDI-P voted for economist Miranda Goeltom as Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor.

KPK prosecutors alleged that the money was later distributed to 18 other PDI-P members on the House commission, including Panda, who the prosecution alleged received the largest amount, Rp 1.45 billion.

Tjahjo Kumolo, chairman of the PDI-P faction in the House, acknowledged that he instructed members of his party to vote for Miranda during a meeting at the Dharmawangsa Hotel in South Jakarta on May 29, 2004, as was stated in Dudhie’s indictment.

He said the PDI-P had decided to support Miranda because her “vision was similar to PDI-P’s.”

“There was never any talk about money nor was there any promise of money. If there are some people who claim to have received money after the voting process, it is certainly without the party’s consent or knowledge,” Tjahjo said.

With the support of the PDI-P and three other factions in the House, Miranda enjoyed a landslide victory and received 41 votes from 51 commission members.

Three current and former lawmakers from the other three factions — the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Police and Military faction — are also awaiting trial over the affair.

Zainal Arifin Mochtar, a legal expert at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said the KPK must resolve the case and bring those named in the indictment to justice.

“All 18 other lawmakers mentioned must also be charged,” he said. “The KPK should send a message to corrupt politicians and officials that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.”

The country’s most prominent antigraft watchdog, Indonesia Corruption Watch, said the KPK had a habit of not resolving cases by bringing everyone involved to trial.

The group pointed to another bribery case linked to the amendment to the central bank law in 2003.

“According to court and KPK documents, every member of the House banking commission received bribe money but only two lawmakers were brought to trial,” ICW deputy chairman Emerson Yuntho said.